Later Paul argued for liberty from such burdensome rabbinical requirements that the Pharisees had laid on people: “Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty with which Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Gal. 5:1). Similarly, Peter at the Jerusalem council argued in nearly the same terms in order to secure liberty for Gentiles: “Now, therefore, why put God to the test, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they” (Acts 15:10-11).
The second thing that John is probably thinking of is suggested by this passage. Here he is writing of the new life which Christians have from God and of the resulting love which they bear to Him. Without this life and love the commands of God, even in the form in which Christ gave them, could be burdensome. But now, the life of God within makes obedience to the commands possible, and the love which the Christian has for God and for other Christians makes this obedience desirable.
The principle is seen in many areas of life, as Barclay argues:
For love no duty is too hard and no task is too great. That which we would never do for a stranger we will willingly attempt for a loved one. That which would be an impossible sacrifice, if a stranger demanded it, becomes a willing gift when love needs it… Difficult the commandments of Christ are; burdensome they are not; for Christ never laid a commandment on a man without giving him the strength to carry it; and every commandment that is laid upon us provides another chance to show our love.1
In all fairness, however, we must admit that there are times when Christians find the commandments of God to be grievous. For who has not heard some Christian complain at some time that God is unfair in expecting him or her to live up to some conditions, particularly when it runs counter to what the individual wishes to do? And what Christian has not done it himself, at least mentally? The last phrase is the clue to understanding the problem, however, for the commands of God only become burdensome when we desire to do something else. In that case, love for our own will dominates our love for God and fellowship is broken; and what was intended for our good seems cruel and restrictive. The solution is to return to that position in which we love God with all our hearts and souls and minds.
1William Barclay, The Letters of John and Jude (Philadelphia, PA: Westminster Press, 1958), 123-124.